Thread guide for knitting machines



Dec. 12, 1933. w. T. KANE THREAD GUIDE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 15. 1931 1mm m Patented Dec. 12, 1933 uNrrso STATES PATENT OFFICE Application December 15, 1931 Serial No. 581,219,.-

4 Claims. (Cl. 6 6- 126) My invention relates to thread guides for knitting machines.

Heretofore, in hosiery knitting machines, thread guide arms have been secured to the carrier plates by means of headed'screws passing v through the carrier plate and engaging in threaded openings in the thread guide arm. When an arm had to be changed for any reason, it was a difficult task to remove the headed screws and the washers usually employed therewith without dropping the same into the machinery below the guide arms. In placing the new arm, additional difficulty and danger of dropping the screws or washers was encountered due to the necessity of alining the threaded openings in the arm with the ends of the screws after they have been inserted through the carrier plate.

This extreme difficulty and the attendant loss of time incurred when changing a thread guide arm results in the average knitter allowing defective guides to remain in the machine, thereby producing an imperfect product which results in great loss to large manufacturers.

With these difliculties in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of mounting for thread guide arms.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier plate with open ended slots and a guide arm with headed screws engaged in threaded openings therein whereby the screws may be slid into the slots while engaged with the arm and need not at any time be completely removed therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide means on the carrier plate which will prevent disengagement of the guide arm therefrom until the securing screws have been loosened to a predetermined position.

ther objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following: detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

bar of a knitting machine upon which is mounted a thread guide carriage 6. These parts are conventional and are not thought to require any further description.

. A carrier plate 7 is mounted upon the guide carriage 6, being secured to the face thereof by means of. suitable screws 8.

which extend inwardly from the lower edge thereof.

I This carrier plate 30 is preferably fiat and is formed with a'pair of substantially parallel spaced open ended slots 9 A thread guide arm 10 is provided with spaced threaded openings in which are engaged headed screws 11, the openings being spaced apart the same distance, as the slots 9 so that the shanks of the screws between the heads thereof. and

the face of the guide arm 10 will slide into and-1 out of said slots when said screws are loosened. The screws have washers 12 soldered to the heads thereof or if desired, the washers could be formed integral with said screws.

The face of the carrier plate '7 is formed with projecting detents 13, one on each side of each of the slots 9 adjacent the open ends thereof, these detents acting to engage the washers 12 to prevent withdrawing of the screws 11 from the slots 9 until said screws have been loosened to a predetermined degree. The face of the plate may also be provided with serrations 14 on each side of the slots 9 so that the washers 12 will obtain a firmer grip when the screws 11 are tightened to lock the guide arm 10 in position. The plate 5 7 is also formed with perforated alined thread guide ears 15 at each end and intermediate thereof.

In operation, when it is desired to place a thread guide arm upon a carrier plate, the screws 190 11 are tightened until the ends thereof are flush with the back of the guide arm. When this is done there will be sufficient clearance between the washers 12 and the face of the arm to clear the detents 1 3 as the arm is inserted into posiplacement, the screws are loosened until theirmg ends are flush with the back of the arm 10, which fact may be ascertained by holding the fingers of one hand over the ends of the screws while they are being loosened, and the arm is then slid out of engagement with the carrier plate.

The detents 13 serve as stops to prevent the arm from falling loose from the plate if the screws 11 become accidentally loosened a small amount.

While a. preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modification-in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire ,to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a thread guide for knitting machines, a carrier plate having spaced open ended slots formed therein, a thread guide arm having head- 'ed screws engaged therein saidscrews being insertable endwise into said slots whereby to clamp said arm to said plate when said screws are tightened, and means for preventing accidental detachment of said arm from said plate upon a slight loosening of said screws, said means comprising detents carried by said plate on either 'side of each of said slots for engaging the heads of said screws.

2. In a thread guide mechanism 'for knitting machines, a carrier plate element, a thread guide element carried by said plate element, one of said elements havingspaced open ended slots formed therein and the other of said elements having spaced headed screws engaged therein and insertable endwise of said slots, said screws serving to lock said elements together when so inserted andtightened, and means for engaging the heads of said screws to prevent accidental disengagement of said elements upon a slight loosening of said screws.

3. In a thread guide mechanism for knitting machines, a carrier plate element, a threaded guide element carried by said plate element, one of said elements having spaced open ended slots formed therein and the other of said elements having spaced headed screws engaged therein and insertable endwise of said slots, said screws serving to lock said elements together whenso inserted and tightened, and means for preventing accidental disengagement of said elements upon a slight loosening of said screws, said means comprising projections on the face of said slotted element adjacent the open ends of saidslotsfor engagement with the heads of said screws. I

4. In a thread guide mechanism for knitting machines, a carrier plate element, a thread guide element carried by said plate element, one of said elements having spaced open-ended slots formed therein and the other of said elements having spaced headed screws engaged therethrough-and .insertable end-wise of said slots, said screws serving to lock said elements together when so inserted and tightened, and

means for engaging the heads of said screws to prevent accidental disengagement of said ele-- ments upon a slight loosening of said screws,

said screws being of a length selected with re- 

